Mr. Amzie Moore was born on September 23, 1911 in Grenada County, Mississippi.He grew up largely on the Wilkins Plantation just north of Greenwood. Mooremoved to Cleveland, Mississippi in 1926. In 1936, he registered to vote althoughhe was not allowed to vote in the all-important primaries. He helped started the firstNegro Boy Scout Troop in the Cleveland.

In 1940, someone struck a match and stuck it to the bottom of a giant's foot namedAmzie Moore. His first knowledge of "The Freedom Movement" came as he recallsit when he attended a meeting, April 3rd, 1940, of several thousand Delta Blacksconcerning the modernization of life in the Delta including improving schools. TheCotton Makers Jubilee drew over 10,000 blacks from the Delta to the Carnival-likecelebration at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

He was drafted into the United States Armed Services during WW II in 1942.Corporal Moore's job was to counter propaganda that the Japanese were using viamedia broadcast to remind "Black Solders that there was going to be no freedomfor them even after the war was over".

Amzie Moore returned to Cleveland in 1946. He later acquired property; started acombination service station/beauty shop/restaurant business with a loan fromStandard Life Insurance Company. Moore didn't waste time using his organizationskills for "change".

From this point on, a giant named "Amzie" would work non-stop organizing fromthe bottom up to bring about change for blacks not only in Cleveland, Mississippi,but throughout the Mississippi Delta. In 1950, He Co-founded the Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL) along with Dr. T.R.M. Howard who was a prosperous,flamboyant and very popular surgeon. The RCNL attracted several thousandpeople to its first mass meeting to hear prominent speakers like CongressmanWilliam Dawson and Charles Diggs and then Attorney Thurgood Marshall. Amzieserved as Vice-Chairman of the RCNL. The RCNL had a following of nearly100,000 people from at least half of the counties in Mississippi.

Amzie enlisted all types in the RCNL: ministers, heads of Fraternal Organizations,Business People, and National Association for the Advancement of ColoredPeople (NAACP) officers. Bayard Rustin visited the Delta in the mid-fifties andthought Moore to be either very brave or very stupid.

Jet magazine and The Pittsburgh Courier ran stories soliciting aid for him. "InFriendship"(spearheaded by Ella Baker), raised money to help Amzie, they alsosent clothes to distribute to other people. Amzie also distributed sewing machinesand material for people to learn how to sew and make clothes to wear. "InFriendship" also arranged for East Coast speaking for Moore and Moore focusedon disenfranchisement in the South and the federal role in the process.

The RCNL held voter registration classes and testimonial meetings where citizenscould share stories of the difficulties they experienced trying to register to vote. Amzie worked with NAACP's Roy Wilkins (national office) with conferences andfundraisers. In 1955, the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP elected Amzie Moorepresident in his absence. Over the next year, he and Medgar Evers built thechapter up to 439 members making it the second largest branch in the state. Moore became Vice-President of the State Conference of NAACP branches.

Herman Perry helped Moore start a Bolivar County Voters League in the mid-fifties;Perry worked with Moore for nearly thirty years. Amzie Moore was part of severalsinging groups and much of his NAACP recruiting was done in churches takingadvantage of that fact. Sometimes, Moore's group would sing precursor to theSNCC Freedom Singers. He would pass out membership forms immediately afterthey sang.

In order to register to vote in Mississippi, you had to answer any chosen questionof Mississippi's constitution and pay a poll tax. In 1955, the White Citizen Council(WCC) was established with the agenda of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) and thedemeanor of Rotary.

The WCC goal was to drive ½ million Blacks out of the South. Its membership wasnearly (25,000) twenty-five thousand within one year and grew to nearly (80,000)eighty thousand within two years. Their national office was located in Greenwood. Amzie Moore recruited and sent Sam Block, Jr. to work with and educate Blacks inGreenwood. Amzie Moore recruited many and many stayed at his house when inthe Delta. Bob Moses, Lawrence Guyot, Charles Cobbs, Sam Block, Jr. WilliePeacock, Thurgood Marshall, Owens Brooks, Ella Baker and on and on.

Amzie Moore supported SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee). Within two years, 16,000 blacks were recruited, among them, the Legendary Mrs.Fannie Lou Hamer. Moore introduced Hollis Watkins to Fannie Lou Hamer. Mrs.Hamer requested Amzie’s help in organizing the Freedom Democratic Party. Amzie and others had their first meeting at New Hope Baptist Church. “That churchmysteriously burned to the ground”. “Rev. J. D. Story let us meet at his church”,said Amzie. “Some people were afraid to get involved”.

Moore directed "Operation Freedom Committee" which compensated black peoplewho lost their jobs by voting. Amzie also served on the Board of the Black Hospitalin Mound Bayou. Additionally, he supported CORE (Commission on RacialEquality).

Among other things, Amzie became counselor to all, black and white, young andold who came to Mississippi in the freedom movement. He was on the Board ofDirector of the Delta Ministry of National Churches of Christ in the USA. It was theDelta Ministry who memorialized Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer under the leadership ofMr. Owen Brooks.

Moore met with President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Bob Moses stayed with Amzienearly five months in 1966.

Moore lobbied on behalf of Bolivar Countians and Mississipians for funding for several projects. It was Amzie Moore who organized the first Head Start program in Bolivar County, Mississippi. The first Head Start Center was located at 612 Church Street inCleveland, Mississippi. In 1966 Head Start served over 1400 poor white familiesand 7600 poor black families. In 1967, 1968 and 1969 Head Start was beingfunded for $1,000,000 (one million dollars) per year. Amzie Moore never receivednor wanted a salary from Head Start. Moore was the first Board Chairman of MACE(Mississippi Action Committee on Education) 1967-70.

In 1968, Amzie retired from the United States Post Office and began working withthe (NCNW) National Council of Negro Woman (Washington, D.C.) Moore becamethe first manager of the Turnkey III Project: a low income housing in East Cleveland(East Gate) developed by the NCNW under the leadership of Mrs. Unita Blackwell. Overall, Moore was successful in getting descent, low income housing for many citizens. He recalled 200 houses being constructed in East Gate, 137 AME Homes apartments and 60 housing units in Rosedale, MS. “Moore Avenue” in East Gate is named in his honor.

Amzie Moore worked hard for education and economic development, political andsocial justice. He was also instrumental in getting Baxter Laboratory to hire more blacks. Before Moore’s involvement, Baxter employed thirteen blacks in janitorial positions only. Moore estimated that nearly 800 blacks were employed there in 1977. Baxter trusted Moore on referrals.

When President Jimmy Carter was campaigning, Senator William Alexander ofCleveland and Representative Ed Jackson of Cleveland were interested inpromoting Carter. They asked Amzie Moore for assistance.

Others that either visited Amzie, he visited or received phone calls from includeHupert Humphrey, Senator Robert Kennedy, Senator James O. Eastland and Jimmy Carter.

Moore has contributed to publications such as "My Soul is Rested: An Oral Historywith Amzie Moore by Howell Raines" and numerous newspaper and magazinearticles (1955 Ebony). Additional information can be found on Moore in "Who'sWho in American Politics", "Eyes on the Prize", "We'll Never Turn Back", "DreamDeferred" and "I've Got The Light of Freedom" by Charles Payne.

We will forever remember Mr. Amzie Moore. On Saturday, September 29, 2001,The City of Cleveland, officially, renamed Shady Grove Park “Amzie Moore Park”.Estimates upwards of 800-1000 people are said to have visited the parkthroughout the day for the dedication. Currently, Head Start Centers fromHumphrey County, Sunflower County and other surrounding areas choose Amzie’sPark as their annual Picnic site. Area public schools frequent Amzie Moore Park.Students from Indiana University South Bend, University of Michigan Ann Arbor andUniversity of Miami among others, also, migrate to Cleveland to Amzie Moore Park. Fraternities such as Phi Beta Sigma (DSU) occasionally, plan events atAmzie Moore Park. And, High School Band Competitions, East Side High School Softball home games and Family and Class Reunions take place there year round.

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